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IT-FRANZ.

. `Corset-Clasp. No. 224,413 Patnre-d Feb; 1o, 1880.

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WITNESS I (/INVENTg-L d M2M/@ f JW BY y l Y ATTORNEY'.

UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

THERESE FRANZ, 6E BERLIN, GERMANY.

CORSET-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,413, dated February 10, 188C. Application filed September 20, 1879.

To all whom it tney concern:

Be it known that I, THERESE FRANZ, of the city of Berlin, Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Corset-Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

Uorsetclasps have heretofore been constructed in which one of the plates is formed in va single piece and the other formed of sections, jointed or pivoted to each other, the plates being provided with fastening devices for connecting and holding them together, the ob ject of such construction being intended to permit the corset to be released torelax and ease the person of the wearer without entirely disconnecting the clasps.

As thus made the corset-clasp' is very objectionable, owing to one of the plates being practically rigid, or made in a single piece, which has the effect of giving to the wearer a one-sided or deformed appearance when the jointed plate is unfastened, owin g to the edgewise bending of the linked busk, permitting a greater protuberance of the breast and stomach than does the rigid busk, besides rendering the corset extremely uncomfortable.

` lVIy invention overcomes these serious objections, and provides corset-clasps ywhich can be conveniently and Vrapidly unfastened at the stomach of the wearer, and each side permitted to gracefully relax, not. alfecting the shapeA of the person, and providing perfect comfort while maintaining the symmetrical and comely appearance of the person, and enabling the wearer to lean forward or assume other'positions with perfect ease andcomfort.

To this end my invention consists in a cor-` set-clasp each member of which is formed of separate parts pivoted together at their adjoining ends, that jointed portion Which lies over the stomach being, respectively, provided with an eye and a hook, and the other jointed portions being provided .with suitable fastening devices, in such manner that'the wearer can, by inserting the fingers through the buttoned portion ofthe dress, raise the hook from the eye,.and instantly permit the clasps at that portion-which lies over the stomach of the wearer to uniformly separate at each side of the husk, thereby releasing and relieving the stomach and providing. perfect comfort,:while not detracting from the symmetrical and comely appearance of the ligure.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a plan view of the corset-clasp connected together, and Fig. 2 a similar view, showing the corset released to permit relaxation of the wearer at the stomach.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that each corset-clasp is composed of three sections, A BC and A B G, jointed or pivoted together at their adjoining ends, as at The lower jointed ends, A A', are provided, respectively,with an eye, D, and button D', which are adapted to engage each other, and the upper endsof the jointed portions C C are provided with a similar eye and button.

The pivotal portions B B' C G lie over the stomach, and are provided, respectively, with an eye, H, and a pivoted hook, G, adapted to engage with each other.'

As thus constructed, that portion of the clasps which lies over the stomach ofthe wearer can be rapidly and conveniently released by,`

simply raising the hook Gr from engagement with the eye H, when the opposite clasps will separate and permit the person of the wearer to relax, and owing to both sides uniformly separating at the stomach of the wearer the graceful and comely appearance of the wearer is not marred, while the corset is rendered perfectly comfortable, enabling the wearer to lean forward or assume other positions with perfect ease.`

In fastening' or unfastening the hook it is only necessary tofinsert the lingers through the buttoned portions of the dress and raise or depress the hook, which `can be accomplished with such perfect convenience as not to be noticeable.

In order to refasten the hook, I provide the end of the hook with a cord, which, being within convenient reach of the wearer, can be grasped todraw down the hook to engage the eye.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is A corset-clasp each member of which is formed of separate plates pivoted together at their adjacent ends, the intermediate pivoted plates being provided, respectively, with an eye and a pivoted swinging hook adapted to engage and rdisengage each other, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

THERESE FRANZ.

Witnesses:

JOHN R. CAMPBELL, J. W. CASEY.

IOO 

